Remountable magnetic panel system

Abstract

A wall panel system. In an embodiment, the wall panel system includes a plurality of wall panels magnetically and removably mounted to magnetically attractive mounting brackets affixed to a wall. In an embodiment, the mounting brackets are steel strips mounted at selected heights above the bottom of the wall. The wall panels may include various design components, including wood, wood veneer, textiles, metal, dry erase board, chalkboards, tempered glass, artistic paintings and designs, as well as functional components such as lighting panels or bookcases. A plurality of permanent magnets is affixed to a backing plate, preferably in a recessed configuration with respect to a reverse surface of the backing plate. The magnets releasably secure the wall panels to the mounting strips. Wall panels may be provided in various shapes and sizes, such as squares or rectangles of selected dimensions.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A wall panel system, comprising:
 (a) at least one mounting bracket, each of said at least one mounting bracket comprising a magnetically attractable body adapted for securement to a workpiece wall, each of the at least one mounting bracket further comprising an attachment surface facing outward from the workpiece wall; 
 (b) at least one reusable wall panel, the wall panel magnetically and releasably securable to at least one mounting bracket, the wall panel comprising
 (1) a backing plate ( 60   B ), the backing plate having an obverse side and a reverse side and a thickness D therebetween, the backing plate further comprising recesses ( 63 ) therein defined between cutouts ( 64 ) into but not completely through thickness D of the backing plate, wherein each recess is sized and shaped for receiving a magnet casing therein for secure mounted engagement; 
 (2) a front panel, the front panel affixed to the obverse side of the backing plate, 
 (3) a plurality of magnets; 
 (4) a plurality of magnet casings, wherein the magnet casings comprise steel and are sized and shaped for securely receiving and immobilizing therein two or more magnets in the plurality of magnets, and wherein the magnet casings are provided in a thickness M T  and wherein each magnet casing is fully recessed into, and directly mounted and secured to and immobilized within the backing plate; and 
 
 (c) wherein the wall panel is releasably securable to at least one mounting bracket; and 
 (d) wherein the reusable wall panel further comprises a rear cover sheet, and wherein the rear cover sheet is affixed to the reverse side of the backing plate. 
 
     
     
       2. A wall panel system, comprising:
 (a) a plurality of mounting brackets, the mounting brackets comprising horizontally disposed elongated magnetically attractable steel strips, the mounting brackets sized and shaped for securement to a workpiece wall, each of the mounting brackets comprising an attachment surface facing outward from the workpiece wall; 
 (b) a plurality of reusable wall panels, the wall panels magnetically and releasably securable to the mounting brackets, each of the wall panels comprising
 (1) a backing plate, the backing plate having an obverse side and a reverse side and a thickness D therebetween, the backing olate further comprising recesses ( 63 ) therein defined between cutouts ( 64 ) into but not completely through thickness D of the backing plate, wherein each recess is sized and shaped for receiving a magnet casing therein for secure mounted engagement; 
 (2) a front panel, the front panel affixed to the obverse side of the backing plate, 
 (3) a rear cover sheet, the rear cover sheet affixed to the reverse side of the backing plate, 
 (4) a plurality of magnets; 
 (5) a plurality of magnet casings, wherein the magnet casings comprise steel and sized and shaped for securely receiving and immobilizing therein one or more magnets in the plurality of magnets, and wherein the magnet casings are provided in a thickness M T  for recessed mounting of magnet casings at least partially into the backing plate and wherein each magnet casing is recessed at least partially into, and directly mounted and secured to and immobilized as connected with the backing plate; and 
 
 (c) wherein the plurality of magnet casings are situated at locations configured for magnetic contact with two or more of the plurality of mounting brackets, so that the reusable wall panel is releasably securable to an attachment surface of the mounting brackets. 
 
     
     
       3. A wall panel system as set forth in  claim 1  or in  claim 2 , wherein the rear cover sheet comprises resin impregnated moisture resistant paperboard. 
     
     
       4. A wall panel system as set forth in  claim 1  or in  claim 2 , wherein the front panel further comprises an exposed front surface, and wherein the exposed front surface comprises a solid wood surface. 
     
     
       5. A wall panel system as set forth in  claim 1  or in  claim 2 , wherein the front panel further comprises an exposed front surface, and wherein the exposed front surface comprises a patterned wood panel. 
     
     
       6. A wall panel system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the magnet casing comprises a steel casing portion and a plastic frame casing portion. 
     
     
       7. A wall panel system as set forth in  claim 1  or in  claim 2 , wherein the backing plate comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of (a) plywood, (b) particle board, (c) medium density fiber board, and (d) hard fiber board. 
     
     
       8. The wall panel system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the mounting brackets comprise galvanized steel. 
     
     
       9. The wall panel system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the mounting brackets have a thickness of between eighteen gauge (0.05 inches) and twenty four gauge (0.025 inches), inclusive. 
     
     
       10. The wall panel system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein at least two or more of said wall panels are of interchangeable size and shape. 
     
     
       11. A reusable wall panel, the wall panel for use in a wall panel system including mounting brackets mounted on a workpiece wall, the mounting brackets comprising magnetically attractable strips having an attachment surface facing outward from the workpiece wall, the reusable wall panel comprising:
 (a) a backing plate, the backing plate having an obverse side and a reverse side and a thickness D therebetween, the backing plate further comprising recesses therein defined between cutouts into but not completely through thickness D of the backing plate, wherein each recess is sized and shaped for receiving a magnet casing therein for secure mounted engagement; 
 (b) a front panel, the front panel affixed to the obverse side of the backing plate; 
 (c) a rear cover sheet, the rear cover sheet affixed to the reverse side of the backing plate; 
 (d) a plurality of permanent magnets; 
 (e) a plurality of magnet casings, wherein the magnet casings comprise steel and are sized and shaped for securely receiving and immobilizing therein one or more magnets in the plurality of permanent magnets, and wherein the magnet casings are provided in a thickness M T  for recessed mounting of magnet casings, and where each magnet casing is at least partially recessed into the backing plate and directly mounted and secured to and immobilized by the backing plate, and wherein the magnet casing comprises a steel casing portion and a plastic frame casing portion; and 
 (f) wherein the reusable wall panel is releasably securable to the attachment surface of the mounting brackets when the mounting brackets are secured to a workpiece wall. 
 
     
     
       12. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the backing plate is provided in a nominal thickness of between one-eighth inch (⅛″) and five eights of an inch (⅝″), inclusive. 
     
     
       13. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the rear cover sheet comprises a plastic laminate. 
     
     
       14. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the front panel and the backing plate are affixed one to the other by an adhesive. 
     
     
       15. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , further comprising an adhesive layer between the backing plate and the rear cover sheet, and wherein the backing plate and the rear cover sheet are affixed one to the other by the adhesive. 
     
     
       16. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , further comprising an adhesive layer between the front panel and the backing plate, and wherein the front panel and the backing plate are affixed one to the other by the adhesive. 
     
     
       17. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein each of the permanent magnets are mounted in a magnet casing, and wherein at least one of said plurality of permanent magnets provides at least twenty pounds of pull strength. 
     
     
       18. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein each of the permanent magnets are mounted in a magnet casing, and wherein at least one of said plurality of permanent magnets provides twenty two or more pounds of pull strength. 
     
     
       19. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are provided in pairs, and wherein at least two pairs of permanent magnets are provided. 
     
     
       20. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , where in the plurality of permanent magnets comprise neodymium magnets. 
     
     
       21. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of magnets comprise neodymium grade N52 magnets. 
     
     
       22. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the wall panel has a width W and height T, and is parallelepiped in shape. 
     
     
       23. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 22 , wherein the wall panels are provided in a set of X sizes in a series, wherein X is a positive integer, and wherein W and T for a panel X are selected from the following table: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                 
                     
                   W (width) 
                   T (height) 
                 
                   X 
                   (inches) 
                   (inches) 
                 
                     
                 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                   1 
                   18 
                   18 
                 
                   2 
                   18 
                   36 
                 
                   3 
                   18 
                   54 
                 
                   4 
                   36 
                   36. 
                 
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
                
               
               
                
               
            
             
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
       24. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the front panel further comprises an exposed front surface, and wherein the exposed front surface comprises one or more wood portions. 
     
     
       25. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 24 , wherein the wood portions comprise wood panels having visible wood grain structure. 
     
     
       26. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 25 , wherein the wood panels include grooves. 
     
     
       27. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the front panel comprises a dry erase board face. 
     
     
       28. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the front panel comprises a chalk board. 
     
     
       29. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the front panel comprises a textile surface. 
     
     
       30. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 29 , wherein the textile surface comprises felt. 
     
     
       31. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the front panel comprises a metal surface. 
     
     
       32. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the front panel comprises a tempered glass surface. 
     
     
       33. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the front panel comprises a textured glass surface. 
     
     
       34. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the front panel comprises a painted surface. 
     
     
       35. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the front panel comprises a metal surface. 
     
     
       36. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the front panel further comprises a bookshelf. 
     
     
       37. A wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the front panel further comprises a light panel, the light panel including one or more light sources operatively connected to electrical power, and a translucent outer surface panel. 
     
     
       38. A reusable wall panel as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the plastic frame casing portion comprises an H shaped multi-column configuration which provides two rectangular perimeters each of which define magnet receiving slots. 
     
     
       39. A reusable wall panel as set forth in  claim 38 , wherein the plurality of magnets comprises a first magnet and a second magnet, and wherein the plastic frame casing portion further defines a rectangular spacer perimeter, the rectangular spacer perimeter sized and shaped for securely locating and caging therein a metal spacer at a location between the first magnet and the second magnet.